Ian R. McWhinney, O.C., M.D., FRCGP, FCFP, FRCP

Brief Biography

Dr. McWhinney was born in Burnley, England in 1926. He attended Cambridge University and St. Bartholomews Hospital Medical School, graduating M.B. B.Chir. from Cambridge in 1949. In 1959 he obtained an M.D. by thesis from Cambridge.

After internship, military service, and residency in general medicine, he entered general practice in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1954. In 1964 he received a six month Nuffield travelling fellowship during which time he was a Fellow in Family Medicine at Harvard University.

In 1968 he was appointed to the new chair of family medicine at The University of Western Ontario. After stepping down from the chair in 1987, he continued to pursue his research interests as a member of the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine. In 1987 he was appointed Medical Director of the palliative care service at Parkwood Hospital and served in this capacity for five years.

Professor McWhinney has received an honorary M.D. from the University of Oslo and an honorary D.Sc. from The University of Western Ontario. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a foreign associate member of the Institute of Medicine in the United States. He has received the Hippocrates Medal from WONCA Europe and Outstanding Educator Award from the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges.

Recent Publications

  • McWhinney IR, Bass MJ, Orr V. Factors Associated with Location of Death (Home or Hospital) of Patients Referred to a Palliative Care Team. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 1995;Feb:361-367.
  • McWhinney IR, Bass MJ, Donner A. Evaluation of a Palliative Care Service: Problems and Pitfalls. BMJ. 1994;309:1340-1342.
  • McWhinney IR. Why We Need a New Clinical Method. Chap 1 in: Patient-Centred Medicine. Stewart M, Brown JB, Weston WW, McWhinney IR, Freeman TR, McWilliam CL. Sage Publications: Newbury Park, CA. 1995
  • McWhinney IR. The Importance of Being Different. British Journal of General Practice. 1996;Jul:433-436.
  • McWhinney IR, Epstein RM, Freeman TR. Rethinking Somatization. Ann Intern Med. 1997;126:747-750.
  • McWhinney IR. The Doctor, The Patient, and the Home: Returning to our Roots. J. American Brd of Family Practice. 1997;10(6):430-435.
  • McWhinney IR. Primary Care Core Values: Core Values in a Changing World. BMJ Series. BMJ. 1998;316(6):1807-1809.
  • McWhinney, IR. Fifty Years On: The Legacy of Michael Balint. British Journal of General Practice, 1999:May;418-419.
  • McWhinney I.R. Home Care. In: Textbook of Rural Medicine. Ed.: Geyman JP, Norris T, Hart G. McGraw-Hill: N.Y. 2000.
  • McWhinney IR. Being a General Practitioner: What it Means. European Journal of Family Practice. 2001;6(Dec):135-139.

    • Recent Unpublished Papers

  • Convocation Address to the 2000 graduating class, The University of Western Ontario, The Secular University and the Human Spirit, June 2000.
  • Keynote Address Ontario College of Family Medicine Forum III, Family Medicine and the Renewal of Primary Care, March 2001

    • Contact Info

    Dr. Ian R. McWhinney, O.C., M.D., F.R.C.G.P., F.C.F.P. F.R.C.P.
    Professor Emeritus of Family Medicine
    Centre for Studies in Family Medicine
    The University of Western Ontario
    Suite 245, 100 Collip Circle
    London, Ontario N6G 4X8
    CANADA

    Telephone: (519) 858-5028
    Fax: (519) 858-5029
    Email:     irmcwhin@uwo.ca